When he heard the Facebook notification chime on his phone, he expected it to be one of the Toad retainers, spreading word of Mario's mysterious situation on social media. He expected it to be Mario, having escaped from whoever attacked him, telling everyone that he was safe. He even expected it to be Peach, starting a Safety Check regarding the incident.

But Luigi wound up with none of those things. Instead, the phone gave him a chilling notification.

King Boo sent you a friend request.

Luigi was frozen where he sat, staring at the notification. How on Earth did King Boo have a Facebook account? And how long did he have it? Was he using it to stalk him, Mario and their friends? And how did King Boo even know that Luigi had a Facebook account?

He wanted to convince himself that this was a joke, that this was a parody account that decided to rattle him for some cheap laughs. But deep down, he knew that this was really King Boo who sent him a friend request.

Somehow, Luigi found the strength to dismiss the notification and put his phone away. Then, he refilled his wine glass, put it to his lips and sipped.

"Oh—that's not good," he heard Gadd say. "That's not good at all."

Luigi raced over to join his mentor. "What isn't?" he asked.

"The paranormal readings in the Treacherous Mansion are getting stronger," said Gadd. "With the Parascope going bonkers like this, there's no way it'll be able to find the Dark Moon piece."

"So—what do we do?" asked Luigi.

"I was just getting to that part," Gadd told him. "The increased paranormal activity has me worried about the safety of my Toad assistant. You see, the mansion contains exhibits full of artifacts from all over Evershade Valley and beyond. They're very valuable, so I sent a Toad curator to look after them. His name's Ted, and he takes his job very seriously."

"Ted," repeated Luigi, recalling what he'd seen the Boos do to those two Toads.

"But looking at these readings, I reckon that he may be in a hostile work environment," Gadd worriedly went on. "We need to help him!"

"He might know where the ghosts are hiding the last Dark Moon piece, too," Fred chimed in.

"I'll get him out of there," said Luigi. "You have my word."

"Okay," said Gadd. "Don't drop the front-door key this time."

Luigi rolled his eyes. "I didn't drop it—Polterpup took it."

Gadd blinked. "Don't lose it, then."

"Please, bring Ted back safely," said Ned.

"Okeydokey," said Luigi before Gadd pixelated him to the Treacherous Mansion.

…

At this point, Luigi figured that he'd seen everything. Possessed spider queens, possessed staircases, a possessed clock, ice monsters, enhanced ghosts, paranormal puppies, crystals with magical properties. That being said, Luigi approached the front door with a confident stride, inserted the key in the lock and turned it.

I guess I am starting to get the hang of this, he thought.

That feeling lasted until he swung the door open.

Inside the Treacherous Mansion, there was nothing but pitch blackness. Even his flashlight couldn't penetrate the dark. Confused, Luigi swung around, looking back outdoors. And then chill bumps crept along his back as he sensed someone behind him.

Don't make eye contact, he told himself as his body tensed. That's what he wants.

The King floated directly behind Luigi, ogling his tense back. He was almost the same as he was twelve years ago—except that he was a little wiser, a bit more laid-back and no longer controlled by his fears. But King Boo was going to change all of that.

He hovered closer to the one responsible for his ten-year imprisonment, sensing him sense his presence. Now would be a perfect time to attack, but King Boo was content to wait a while longer. Closing his eyes, the King inhaled his old friend's scent—sweat and cologne and hair conditioner. Luigi smelled so good. And then King Boo lolled out his long tongue and gently traced it up the nape of the plumber's neck. He tasted good, too.

Soon, King Boo told himself. Soon…

Luigi stood there, not daring to move or speak, until the tongue was gone from his neck and the chill at his back had passed. When he turned back around, the Treacherous Mansion's interior was lit, as if nothing had happened. Reminding himself to breathe, Luigi walked inside as the doors creaked shut behind him.

The first thing he did was reveal a hidden statue on the staircase's right banister. Yanking on the red cord dangling from the statue caused the stairs to drop down, revealing a safe. And in that safe was a Strong Slammer! Luigi stunned them at once, and they had a ball dragging him all over the front entrance before he finally vacuumed them up. Also in the safe was a diamond, which he picked up before continuing onward.

He walked through the east gallery and into a jungle exhibit, where he found Ted, still trapped in the portrait, his mouth frozen in a scream. Luigi shone the DLD on the portrait prison, only for two spear-wielding Strong Greenies to arrive on the scene. To make things worse, a Flytrap appeared in front of the imprisoned Toad, snapping at his would-be rescuer.

Luigi brandished the Poltergust as the enhanced Greenies advanced on him, dodging their spear strikes as best he could. Eventually, he stunned them both and captured them, but in order to deal with the Flytrap, he had to find one of those spiky fruits.

"Don't worry, Ted," said Luigi. "I'll get you out of this."

Listening to his music, he began exploring the jungle exhibit, earning more treasure and eventually coming upon an E-Gate. After activating the E-Gate, he left the jungle exhibit and walked down the grand east hall, where he uncovered a hidden door to the restroom. There, he battled another Strong Greenie before heading into another restroom, where a Strong Slammer was seated on the toilet. Luigi got their attention by flushing the toilet, and after another battle, he captured them, as well.

The next exhibit he checked out was the ancient exhibit, where a large tiki head stared unblinkingly at him. There were two green panels in the tiki's eyes, and flashing them with the Strobulb caused the sand to drain from the room. Once all of the sand had drained, he broke down a wall to reveal another E-Gate, but as he strode towards it, the sarcophagi around him started shuddering. Luigi froze as they broke open, revealing four "mummies". He knew they were just Greenies on stilts, but they still kind of gave him the creeps.

He tricked them into stumbling into one of the torches lining the walls, and their bandages burned away to reveal four enhanced Greenies. From there, capturing them was a breeze, and then he activated the E-Gate, which took him back to the front entrance.

Now, Luigi proceeded into the west gallery, which led him into a Dark Age exhibit. There, he was confronted by a Strong Greenie wearing a bucket on their head, along with two Strong Hiders. He defeated them all before uncovering another E-Gate by sliding a book into a bookshelf.

In the grand west hall, he made his way into a kitchen, where another Flytrap startled him in the pantry. He subdued the Flytrap by feeding them a roast chicken (no, really), and then drew some Spirit Ball from a hidden refrigerator. Opening the refrigerator took him to an icy red coin maze, which he completed to earn more treasure. Then, he explored another major exhibit, the Ice Age exhibit.

After vacuuming up piles of "snow", he yanked on a "mammoth's" trunk, which tossed him up to the gargoyle roof. Glowing stars floated around him, which he caught in his vacuum and launched into the sky toward a larger, unfinished star shape. Once the star shape was completed, Luigi earned a diamond, and then he took a secret passageway back down to the Ice Age exhibit.

Inside an "igloo", Luigi found yet another E-Gate, which took him back to the front entrance. With all four E-Gates activated, he could now set about finding a way to free Ted.

He took the bucket from the Dark Age exhibit and filled it with water from the jungle exhibit, which he used to water a sprout. This sprout bloomed into the spiky fruit he was looking for. An orange flower catapulted him to the exhibit's upper level, where he launched the spiky fruit into the Flytrap's mouth, subduing them and finally allowing him to release Ted from his confines.

"Finally! Fresh air!" cheered Ted. His eyes swung over to the man in green. "Oh—Luigi! Boy, am I glad to see you!"

The green-spotted Toad hugged Luigi. "It was terrible," he went on. "Boos were chasing me all over the place. And that laughter—that horrible laughter!"

Luigi held Ted close. "You're safe now," he said. "Everything's gonna be all right."

"Thanks for the save," Ted said breathily, "but they got their hands on my friend, too. We've got to help him!"

"Your—friend," said Luigi. "The other Toad I saw earlier?"

Ted blinked. "The Professor didn't mention that there were two of us?"

"No."

"I'm not surprised," scoffed Ted. "He always thinks we're the same person. I wonder if he's color blind."

"Or if his mind's starting to go," Luigi worriedly added. "I've known him for almost twelve years. When we met, his mind was sharper than a number two pencil. But now that he's forgetting things…"

"We'll have a long talk with him later," said Ted. "Let's get my friend out of this place!"

"Do you know where they might have taken him?" asked Luigi.

"They made him watch as they shoved me inside a painting," Ted replied. "Just before I was sealed inside, I heard them saying their boss finished doing the same to him. Then, they muttered something about the Ice Age exhibit."

"Ice Age exhibit—I was just there," muttered Luigi.

Then, he held his hand out to Ted. "Let's go," he said.

He picked up the discarded bucket, refilled it, and used the E-Gates to enter the ancient exhibit. There, he saw a lone plant, and when he doused it with water, it grew into a flower that spat out a diamond.

Ted rolled his eyes. "Could you have waited until after you rescued my friend to do that?" he asked.

"Apologies," said Luigi, "but I thought that flower would give us something important."

Ted bit his lip. "I see what you're saying," he said. "By the way, my friend's name is Ed."

"Ed. Got it," said Luigi. "If he's in the Ice Age exhibit, then that means that we should expect some ice blocking our access to him. Before we look for him, we need to get something that'll melt the ice."

Ted nodded, and the two of them went back to the jungle exhibit.

"Hey—maybe this can help us," said Ted, handing Luigi a log. "All we need to do is light this baby on fire, and then we've got ourselves a torch!"

Luigi knew exactly where to go, leading Ted back into the ancient exhibit and using a torch to set the log alight. Carefully, he carried the log to the Ice Age exhibit, and just as he'd predicted, there were sheets of ice he needed to melt before finally uncovering Ed.

Ted cried out and ran toward Ed, pressing his cheek against the canvas and beginning to cry.

"Ed, I'm so sorry!" blubbered Ted. "I wasn't—strong enough…"

"Hey," Luigi said comfortingly. "What more could you have done?"

"I should've fought harder against those Boos," sobbed Ted.

"It wasn't your fault," said Luigi. "The Boos overcame you both with their magical powers, and they can't be subdued by conventional means."

"I didn't expect any Boos in Evershade Valley," sniffled Ted.

"Neither did the Professor," Luigi told him. "They must've—tracked him here—to get to me."

Luigi coaxed Ted away from Ed's portrait before using the DLD to free the latter Toad.

Ed was shivering when he came out, so Luigi knelt down and warmed him with a hug.

"I've got you," he said. "I've got you."

"Luigi!" cried Ed. "Thank Heaven!"

"Hey there, Ed!" called Ted.

"Ted! You're alive!" laughed Ed as he dashed over and hugged his friend.

Then, they turned to Luigi and hugged him, as well.

"You saved our lives," said Ed. "How can we ever repay you?"

Before Luigi could answer, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Hey, Luigi," said Gadd. "How's it going up there?"

"Ted's safe," said Luigi. "He was in a painting in the jungle exhibit, but I freed him."

"I haven't been checking in on you because I've been napp—I mean, looking for the Dark Moon piece, of course!"

"Yeah, sure," said Luigi. "Is there a Pixelator screen around here?"

"Yes. There's one in the inner courtyard," replied Gadd.

"Hi there, Professor," chirped Ed.

"Holy—Ed?!"

"That's me!"

"I almost forgot—J—s! Are you okay?!"

"I am now."

"I am so sorry, Ed!" exclaimed Gadd. "I was so focused on the Dark Moon fiasco and recalling Ted that you just slipped right under my radar! Thank God Luigi found you."

"Ditto," said Ed.

"Okay, the Toads will be back in the Bunker soon," said Luigi. "Ciao."

He hung up and began leading Ted and Ed out of the Ice Age exhibit, only for a trio of Strong Greenies to appear out of nowhere!

Luigi stood protectively in front of the Toads, Poltergust raised and ready for action. As Ted and Ed cheered him on, he stunned and captured the Strong Greenies one at a time, taking a few punches as he did. Ed and Ted even helped him toward the end, grabbing him round the waist and keeping him anchored to the ground to make sucking up the enhanced ghosts easier.

After the brief battle, Luigi, Ted and Ed trudged through the grand west hall, making small talk and telling dirty jokes to provide some much-needed levity. On their way to the inner courtyard, some more ghosts attacked, but Luigi was always ready for them. Once inside the inner courtyard, the three of them stared at a statue of three gargoyles, to which two cages were attached.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Have you reached the inner courtyard yet?" asked Gadd.

"We've just arrived."

"The Pixelator Screen is above it, so you'll need to find a way to get there," Gadd told him.

Luigi peered above the statue and saw the Pixelator Screen on the second floor.

"Piece of cake," he said sardonically. "Ciao."

"Hey," said Ted when Luigi hung up. "I have a feeling about those cages."

"Yeah," said Ed. "You can launch me into one of them and Ted into the other, and we'll see what happens then."

"Worth a shot," said Luigi.

Taking great care, he launched Ted into the cage on the right and Ed into the cage on the left. But before the weight could stabilize, those pink gates trapped everyone into the room, and a Boo emerged from the ground.

"Boopa Troopa, reporting for duty!" cackled the Boo. "The Boo armies are here, so you might as well surrender!"

"Over my dead body," Luigi declared.

"Sounds good to me," grinned Boopa Troopa.

Laughing, Boopa Troopa generated Spirit Balls and made the fountain disappear. As Luigi scanned the inner courtyard with his DLD for any sign of the Boo, several enhanced Sneakers began harassing Ted and Ed! The man in green shouted for the duo to find a place to hide before taking on the Sneakers. It was a tough fight, but Luigi won, and after sending the Strong Sneakers into the Poltergust, he did the same with Boopa Troopa.

"Whoo!" cheered Ted. "[Bleep] you, Boo! Suck on that, a—wipe!"

"Thank you, Luigi," added Ed.

"You're welcome," said Luigi, shining the DLD on the hidden fountain and vacuuming up the Spirit Balls.

After that, he helped Ed and Ted back into the cages, revealing two green panels at the base of the statue. When he flashed the panels with the Strobulb, the fountain and some of the floor moved aside, allowing a spiral staircase to ascend to the second floor.

"Awesome," said Ed.

"Wicked cool," Ted joined in.

The three of them walked up the stairs to the Pixelator Screen. Luigi gave Ted and Ed a high-five each before pulling the screen's lever.

"Here you go!" he said brightly.

"Thanks again, L," smiled Ted.

"Yeah, you're the best!" added Ed.

"See you soon!" they said in unison as they were recalled to the Bunker.

Seconds later, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Fred, Zed and Ned are so happy to see Ted and Ed," said Gadd. "They're having a great big hugfest on the floor!"

Luigi chuckled.

"All right—let me bring you back."

"Ciao." Luigi hung up and braced himself for the familiar sensation of being Pixelated to the Bunker.

…

"I knew I could count on you, kiddo," laughed Gadd. "You're just so dependable."

"I couldn't refuse to help out a friend," said Luigi.

"I wish the same could be said for me, though," Gadd despondently added. "I'm always so busy thinking about my research that I tend to forget minor details. And now, I put my Toad Assistants in danger because of it!" He sighed. "Fred, Zed, Ned, Ted and Ed—I truly hope you can forgive me."

"Well," Fred said craftily. "That depends."

Luigi emptied the Poltergust as Gadd and the Toad Assistants spoke.

"On the whole, I'm glad that the five of you are safe and sound," Gadd said contritely. "Although—I suppose this means I'll have to give you your paychecks now…"

"A paycheck would be nice," said Ed.

"And there'd better be a nice fat bonus in our envelopes come Christmas," Fred pointedly added. "Then we'll consider forgiving you."

Gadd held up his hands in mock-surrender. "Okay, deal," he said.

The Toad Assistants cheered.

"We wish we could tell you anything about the Dark Moon piece," said Ted, "but we have no idea where the Boos took it."

"However, there's a lot of action on the second floor of the Treacherous Mansion," added Ed. "Maybe that's a good place to start looking."

"Plus, we brought back a security image!" Ted sang out, holding it out to Gadd.

"Great! I'll unscramble it right away!" said Gadd as Ted placed the security image in his hand. "I wonder what secrets it will reveal!"

It didn't take long for Gadd to unscramble and process the security image, projecting it onto the centermost monitor for everyone in the Bunker to see.

But nothing could prepare Luigi for what he saw in that image…

Uh-oh...